WASHINGTON – U.S. and other Mideast peace envoys are meeting
Wednesday in Brussels in a bid to boost Israeli-Palestinian peace
talks.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says U.S., European
Union, U.N. and Russian envoys will discuss Palestinian state-
building efforts. She didn´t say if the so-called Quartet would seek
to advance Israeli-Palestinian proposals on borders and security in a
final peace agreement.

The sides are supposed to reach a treaty by year-end but talks are
foundering. Palestinians want Israeli settlement construction stopped
in lands they seek for their state. Israel opposes a role for Hamas
in Palestinian governance.